Community Rally Against UI Monopole Project In Fairfield Draw Hundreds

News release from the Town of Fairfield:

FAIRFIELD, CT — Nearly 200 people attended a Community Rally at Fairfield Theatre Company on November 12, 2024, in opposition to United Illuminating’s controversial plan to install massive monopoles in a 7.3 mile-stretch along the railroad tracks in Fairfield and Bridgeport. Members of the community heard an update from First Selectman Bill Gerber on the Town’s current lawsuit in Superior Court, along with remarks from Steve and Andrea Ozyck, co-founders of Empowering Fairfield, urging United Illuminating to bury the lines. Pastor Carl McCluster from Shiloh Baptist Church in Bridgeport spoke about the potential negative impact on the church in that city’s South End.

A presentation by Wes Haynes, preservation advisor to the Mary and Eliza Freeman Houses in Bridgeport, included maps of historical districts threatened by the current path for monopoles. The Freeman Houses, historical landmarks in Bridgeport, are the last two surviving homes from "Little Liberia," a settlement of free African Americans that began in 1831 and reached its highest population just prior to the Civil War.

First Selectman Gerber reminded residents from Fairfield and Bridgeport that the results from the Town’s appeal in Superior Court may not be known until spring of 2025, but that their voices continue to matter. “We have sent a clear and urgent message to United Illuminating that towering monopoles and easements over private and public property are not acceptable,” he said.

The Fairfield-based band Out On Bail provided musical entertainment prior to and following the
speakers.